cornell



3 Sheet-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

E W. CORNELL. CAN GASE FILLING MACHINE.

No. 560,058. Patented May 12, 1896.

IWVENTOE? WITWE88ES (No Model.) B W CORNELL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

CAN CASE FILLING MACHINE.

Patented May D 41896.

INVENTOQ WITNESSES W 4? M4 Clwww AwW ANDRE"EGRAHMJHUTU'UTHOJIIASIHNGTUIL D I:

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. W. CORNELL. CAN GASE FILLING MACHINE.

' No. 560,058. Patented May 12,1896.

INVENTOfi AEDREW EGRAMMfHUrO-UMQWASHINFIDKDC.

lJNrTnn STATES ATENT Fries.

EVAN \Y. CORNELL, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CORNELL &KNAPP 00., OF SAME PLACE.

CAN-CASE-FlLLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,058, dated May 12,1896.

Application filed September 16,1895. Serial No. 562,657. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVAN \V. CORNELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Oase-FillingMachines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a device for placing cans within the cases inwhich they are shipped after the labels have been applied thereto, andis designed to be used at the tail of a can-labeling machine.

The invention consists of the construction and operation of parts foraccomplishing this purpose, as hereinafter more fully set forth, andpointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the labeled cansare arranged and contained in a suitable frame or rack in such positionthat by a single operation a sufficient number may be dischargedtherefrom into the box or case to completely fill said case, and afurther arrangement whereby the remaining cans in the rackautomaticallytake the place of the discharged cans, in positionthemselves to be discharged into a case by the succeeding operation,which object is attamed by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure l is a general view in perspective of mydevice. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same on a somewhat smaller scale. Fig.3 is an enlarged sectional view as taken on dotted line 3 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail hereinafter explained. 5 is a frontelevation of the device. Fig. 6 is a central transverse sectiontherethrough; and Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the projecting rodswhich support the cans and over which the case is placed to receive thecans therein, the dotted lines showing the position of the case.

Referring to the letters and figures of reference, A designates theframe of the device or machine, which is suitablysupported upon legs Aand is made portable to allow it to be moved from place to place.

The bed of the machine is made to decline toward the rear end, andmounted upon said bed is a suitable plate or flooring 1). Located abovethe flooring of the bed, one above the other and equal distance apart,are two dividing-floors Z) Z)", respectively, the ends of which aresupported by the uprights B B, mounted on the ends of the frame, forminga tier of inclined ways down which the cans may roll. Located at theupper end of the machine is a chute O, composed of opposed parallelsides of such distance apart as to receive the length of the cans 0between their adjacent faces. Located upon the sides of said chute arelateral dividing-tracks forming separate ways which communicate with thecan-runways formed by the dividing-floors in the rack.

The cans discharged from the labeling-machine enter the mouth of thechute C and, dropping down upon the inclined bottom O thereof, rolldownward along the bottom lioor b and fill the lower runway of the rack.lVhen said way shall have become filled, the cans will extend up theincline C of the chute, and the last can dropping ther'on, as at 2 inFig. 3, will fill the opening leading into the runway, so that thesucceeding can will roll over said opening and onto the inclined track Dof the chute, thence downward along the second floor Z) of the rackuntil the runway therein above said floor shall have been filled, whenthe last can, as at 3, will fill the opening leading thereto, causingthe succeeding can to roll over onto the upper floor Z)", forming a rowof cans thereon, which extend along the inclined track D to the'upperend of the chute, in which position of parts there is-a single row ofcans extending along each of the runways of the rack and filling theinclines of the chute.

To provide for allowing additional cans to roll downward into the rackand for placing the cans therein in such position as to enable them tobe discharged into the cases, there is employed a swinging or reciprocaltable composed of three leaves E F G, which are arranged one above theother equal distances apart and register with the runways of the rackoccupied by the series of cans. The

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leaves of said table are supported at each end in suitable fittings E,which are pivoted at a to the upper ends of the swinging arms F, thelower ends of said arms being mounted on a rock-shaft F, suitablysupported from hangers E", depending from the cross-pieces G of theframe, upon, which are mounted stop plates G, having shoulders thereonwhich project into the path of said arms and arrest them at eachextremity of their movement. Upon the upper leaf of said table is ahandle 0, by means of which it may be operated to project the leavesthereof into the runways of the rack and to withdraw them therefrom.

It will be seen on referring to Figs. 2 and G that the full width of therack is equal to the length of two cans placed end to end, enabling saidrack to contain a double row of cans in each of the runways therein. Itwill also be seen, onreferring to Fig. 2, that the chute is of sufficient width only to receive one row of cans, which causes the cans toform in a single row in each tier of the runways on one side of the rackas they roll into the rack from the chute, the length of each tier inthe rack being sufficient to contain eight contiguous cans or more. Itwill also be seen that the leaves of the reciprocal table are wider attheir lower ends, where their width 'is equal to twice the width of theremaining portion of the leaves, which extend toward the upper end ofthe table, as clearly shown at H in Figs. 1 and 2.

Extending from the side of the rack opposite to that on which thereciprocal table is mounted is a series of bars arranged to describe arectangular frame, the bottom bars of which being flat and of suchdistance apart as to support a can between them and prevent it frompassing through, the side bars (1 of said rectangular frame being placedin such position as to prevent the cans from rolling out at the endswhen placed within said frame, the length of the bars being sufiicientto support two rows of cans thereon lying end to end of four cans toeach row, and the height of said frame, formed by said bars, issufficient to accommodate three tiers of cans, each tier registeringwith a corresponding tier or can-runway in the rack. This frame, formedby the projecting bars (Z d, has a capacity of two dozen cans, which isthe regulation number placed in the case for ship ment, the size of thisframe being such as to enable a case to be slipped over the bars ofwhich the frame is formed after the cans have been moved onto said bars,so that the case may be withdrawn with the full number of cans therein.

In the operation of the machine the labeled cans entering the chute passdown and fill all of the runways of the rack, as above described, makingthree continuous rows of cans lengthwise of the rack lying upon thefloors Z) Z) I). hen all of the runways shall have been filled, as shownin Fig. 3, the reciprocal table, which normally stands in the withdrawnposition shown in Fig. 1, is moved forward, causing the leaves thereofto project into the runways and slide the cans therein longitudinallyacross the rack, the wide end of the leaves carrying the lower series offour cans outward onto the bars d CZ, as shown by dotted lines in Fig.2, the narrow portion of said leaves moving the cans across the rack, soas to occupy the space on the opposite side thereof, as also shown bydot-ted lines in said last-mentioned figure. The table is then swungbackward or outward, withdrawing the leaves thereof from between therunways of the rack, when the cans which have been moved across the rackby the narrow end of the leaves will roll down and 0c cupy the lower endof the runways of the rack opposite the cans which are resting upon thebars (Z d, and the cans which remained in the chute being released willrolldownward and assist to fill the series of runways of the rack inline with said chute. The succeeding cans, as they are discharged fromthe labeling-machine, pass down said chute and into the runway, fillingthem completely, as before described. By another operation of said tablethe leaves thereof are again caused to engage and carry the cans acrossthe rack, those actuated by the wide end of the leaves being forcedoutward onto the bars (1 d and carryin g the cans already placed uponsaid bars by a previous operation into the case, which may be placedover said bars to receive said cans. At the same time the narrow end ofsaid leaves engage and move across the upper end of the rack asufficient number of cans to again fill the three divisions at the lowerend of the rack, when the leaves of the table shall have been againwithdrawn or moved outward, and so the operation continues, thearrangement being such that by each operation of the table a sufficientnumber of cans are forced outward onto the supporting-bars (l d to fillthe case, which is slipped over said bars to receive the cans, thenumber of cans required to fill an ordinary case being twenty-four.

The cans are held in place on the runways of the rack by means of araised rail 6, eX-

tending along the edges of said runways, except at the dischargeopeningat the point where the cans moved outward onto the supporting-bars (Z d,and the double rows of cans are held in perfect alinement on each sideof the runways of the rack by means of a central row of beveled lugs c,extendinglongitudinally of the floor of each runway, which cause thecans to keep a straight line down the runway and permit of said cansbeing moved laterally across the rack by being so placed that the cansmay be passed between them, these lugs being clearly shown on the tableof the upper runway in Fig. 1.

To provide for separating the cans in the rack so that the requisitenumber of cans therein shall be engaged by the proper portion of theleaves of the movable table and for separating the cans in the chutefrom those in the rack, there is employed a series of inclined knives ff, which are mounted upon each of said leaves adjacent to the chuterespectively which are so placed as to strike between the cans as theleaves of the table move inward and properly divide the cans, so as tobe moved across the rack by the respective portion of the leaves of thetable, as required, obviating the catching of the leaves upon the cansremaining in the chute and blocking the movement of the table, whichwould result should the cans therein project into the path of saidleaves. These knives not only divide the cans but hold them in theirrespective places until after the withdrawal of the leaves of the table.

The projecting leaves of the table are supported against swingingdownward by means of a roller g, mounted upon the under face of thelower leaf E, which is adapted to roll upon the face of the arm I,extending laterally from the frame, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

The side bars d of the projecting frame of bars onto which the cans areforced by the movable table are round, and are secured at their innerends in suitable fittings h, which are suitably mounted on the frame andwhich embrace but a portion of the arc of said bars, therebyleaving theinner portion of the bars free from obstruction, so as to permit thecans to slide freely outward thereon, said bars or rods being secured insaid fittings by means of set-screws 72 as clearly shown in Fig. at.

Located over the chute is a depending spring-leaf J, which serves todeflect the cans into the second runway of the rack and to retard themotion of the cans to prevent them from rolling onto the upper runwaywith too much force.

Extending from the side of the lower incline O of the chute are twosprings k, one end of which is free and stands inward, as shown moreclearly in Fig. 2, which engage the ends of the cans and press themagainst the side of the chute, so as to retard the motion of the cansdown said incline and prevent them from being jammed from rolling withtoo much force onto the lower runway 17.

It will now be understood with this improved device at the tail ofacan-labeling machine that when the runways of the rack shall have beenproperly filled by one movement of the oscillative table a suflicientnumper of cans may be discharged from the rack to fill one case, whichis placed over the frame of bars (Z (1, onto which the cans are forcedto receive them, thereby effecting the complete filling of the case by asingle operation and greatly facilitating the handling of the cans afterbeing labeled, as such work heretofore has been done by hand, requiringa dozen or more movements to fill the case, which, with this improvedmachine, is accomplished with one.

Having thus fully set forth my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination with the rackhaving a series of ways to receive the cans in vertical series, themovable agent having a series of leaves or members which engage the cansbetween said ways in the rack to discharge them therefrom into anadjacent case.

2. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of the rackhaving a series of runways therein, one above the other for containing anumber of'rows of cans, the movable table having leaves arranged invertical series adapted to enter said ways and slide the canstransversely in the rack, said leaves being of greater width at one endthan at the other whereby a portion of the cans within the rack aremoved a greater distance by the movement of said table than theremaining portion.

3. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of the rackhaving can-runways therein, said ways being of such width as to permitof the lateral movement of the cans, and means for moving a portion ofthe cans laterally in the rack a greater distance than the remainingportion.

4. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of the rackhaving a series of inclined can-runways therein, the chute fordischarging the cans into said ways respectively, the movable devicehaving divided members which engage the cans in said ways and move themlaterally, said members being of greater width at their lower than attheir upper ends whereby the cans in the lower portion of the rack aremoved lengthwise the distance of two can-lengths, while those in theupper end of the rack are moved the distance of one can-length by asingle operation.-

5. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of theinclined rack having a series of canways therein of sufficient width tocontain two cans lying end to end, the chute for discharging the cansinto said ways respectively so as to form a continuous row along oneedge of each way, the reciprocal table having divided leaves or memberswhich engage the cans in said ways and move them laterally, the width ofthe lower end of said leaves or members being twice that of their upperends, the receiving-bars projecting from the rack opposite the wide endsof the leaves of said table, whereby, by an inward movement of the tablethe cans in the lower end of the rack are moved outward onto said barswhile those in the upper end of the rack are moved across to theopposite side thereof, substantially as set forth.

6. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of the rackhaving inclined ways therein arranged in vertical order the chuteattached to the upper end of said rack having independent divisions fordirecting the cans into said ways respectively and the movable devicefor discharging a group of said cans laterally from the lower end ofsaid rack.

7. The combination of the rack having a series of can-runways thereinarranged in vertical order, the movable table having a series ofapproximate leaves arranged parallel and in vertical order, said tablebeing movable horizontally so as to project said leaves into the Ways ofthe rack, the outer edge of said table being pivoted to the upper end ofthe downwardly-extendin g arms Whose lower ends are attached to arock-shaft journaled in the frame, and means for limiting the movementof said table.

8. The combination of the rack having a series of runways therein whichreceive the cans in vertical rows, the movable table having leavesadapted to be projected into said Ways and the flexible knives ordividingplates mounted on said leaves for dividing the cans in said Waysas the table is actuated.

0. The combination of the rack having a series of can-runways therein,said Ways being of sufficient width to accommodate two cans lying endfor end, each of said ways being provided with a series of beveled lugsarranged some distance apart and extending through the longitudinalcenter thereof and a series of receiving-bars projecting from the rackin the plane of said Ways.

10. The combination of the rack having the can-runways therein thereceiving-bars projecting from said rack adapted to contain a number ofcans, and means for sliding the cans from the rack onto said bars.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EVAN W. CORNELL. lVitnesses:

D. B. MORGAN, U. E. "\VEAvER.

